Homeless Services

The Homeless Services Program at Human Solutions provides three elements that are critical to homeless families: emergency shelter, housing assistance, and family advocacy. Some who are experiencing homelessness may be living in their cars or in other places unfit for human habitation. Others may be temporarily “doubled up” with family and friends in potentially unsafe and crowded conditions. When people turn to our emergency shelters, they have exhausted all of their options for housing and literally have no place else to go. Our first priority is to get people into safe shelter or housing.

For program eligibility and other information on homeless services, call 211 or log on to 211info.org. You can also contact our Portland Office at 503-548-0200 or our Rockwood Office at 503-405-7875.

Emergency Shelter

First and foremost, people experiencing homelessness need help with the basics – a safe place to sleep and food to eat. We operate year-round shelters that provide all of the basics – and more. In some cases, we can help people bypass shelter altogether and go directly from homelessness into housing as part of Multnomah County’s Homeless Family System of Care, and other related programs. Human Solutions operates two shelters: one for families and one for adult women. While shelter is not designed to be a long-term solution, you may stay as long as you need if you are following program rules and expectations.

TEMPORARILY CLOSED (as of 2.7.18) The Human Solutions Family Centeris a low-barrier shelter accessible to families – one or more adults with at least one minor child, or individuals in their third trimester of pregnancy. This shelter has no walk-up access; we partner with 211 to screen for eligibility and coordinated intake.

Important Notice: In response to an unprecedented increase in the number of families seeking emergency shelter at the Human Solutions Family Center, we have adopted new procedures to help ensure that we can provide an effective response to as many families as possible experiencing homelessness in Multnomah County. As of October 22, 2017, all families seeking shelter at the Human Solutions Family Center must first call 2-1-1 and ask to speak with the Shelter Access Line for a phone eligibility assessment. The phone assessment will be available to families from 9 AM to 9 PM, seven days a week. Families experiencing a housing emergency in Multnomah County should not report to the Family Center without calling 2-1-1 to complete an assessment and arrange an intake appointment. This process is intended to ensure that families experiencing homelessness in Multnomah County receive a streamlined response to their housing situation. Families experiencing homelessness outside of Multnomah County are encouraged to seek resources in their home communities. Human Solutions has adopted the new procedures in partnership with Multnomah County’s Joint Office of Homeless Services, which provides financial support for the operation of the Family Center Shelter.

TheGresham Women’s Shelter is a low-barrier shelter for anyone who identifies as a woman. The Women’s Shelter is a hybrid program that works with all women including those who have experienced domestic violence. It is not a secure DV shelter but is DV informed and we work in conjunction with community partners offering an array of services. This shelter has no walk-up access; instead we partner with 211, The Gateway Center, and A Call to Safety to screen for eligibility and coordinated intake.

Housing Assistance

We work in partnership with Multnomah County, the Joint Office of Homeless Services and other organizations to assist people who are experiencing homelessness to find and secure affordable housing as soon as possible. We understand that the reasons people become homeless vary greatly. As such, there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach – instead a continuum of options is available to provide people with appropriate housing options. Some programs offer one-time cash assistance; others offer various supports to keep people housed while they can become financially stable enough to pay the rent on their own; still others offer long-term or permanent supportive housing.

Family Advocacy

For people who need ongoing assistance to maintain housing, services are ‘person centered’. This assures individuals are empowered to make their own choices for overcoming homelessness. Some individuals may be underemployed or unemployed; others may need help with property debt or previous utility bills; still others may need assistance in accessing disability services, sign up for the Oregon Health Plan or Social Security. People are encouraged to set goals, that when achieved will result in permanently overcoming homelessness.

When all three elements of the Homeless Services Program are combined – emergency shelter, housing assistance, and family advocacy – we expect to serve about 2,500 adults and children in approximately 825 homeless families this year.